Signal Flare
by SomethinaboutMarco
Summary: When on a sinking ship, sometimes the only thing to do is signal for help, and pray someone answers. As Steven is captured by Homeworld, Pearl seeks help in the only ally the Crystal Gems have left, hoping they'll be able to aid them in their darkest hour.
1. Chapter 1

How long had it been?

Hours? Minutes?

Seconds?

Pearl couldn't tell.

All she knew was that Steven was gone.

He was gone and they had taken them.

He had sacrificed himself to protect them, answering for his Mother's sins.

It wasn't his burden to bear.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't _right._

He shouldn't have done it.

Connie was inconsolable.

As soon as they had reached the shore, she collapsed into a fetal position, and began to sob; tears streaming down her face as she shook in the wet, warm sand. Sadie had knelt beside her, whispering comforting words into her ear.

Sadie was barely keeping it together herself.

Amethyst had joined her in trying to console Connie, silently stroking the poor girls back.

Garnet just stood away from them, staring up at the sky.

Pearl couldn't handle it any longer.

A tight knot began to form in her gut, slowly rising up through her. The deep feeling slowly began to come out in gentle gasps as tear began to fall down her porcelain face. These gasps soon became choked, rising in crescendo until Pearl had fallen to her knees, fully sobbing into her hands. She couldn't think, the world slowly melting away around her.

What were they going to do now?

They had no ship, no army, no technology that could compete with Homeworld's.

They had no one they could call for help; their allies had been wiped out long ago.

No, they were alone, and there was absolutely no way to rescue Steven.

Unless….

" _If you ever need assistance, activate it, I'll be here as fast as I can."_

The statement popped into Pearl's head from out of nowhere, causing her desperate cries to immediately stop. She tilted her head up, frantically searching the stars.

"Of course…." She spoke aloud, "Why didn't I think of it before!?"

Leaping to her feet, Pearl began sprinting to the beach house, the shouts of Sadie and Amethyst fading behind her. Taking the front steps two at a time, Pearl burst into the home, gaze shifting from one area to the other.

"Where is it!? Where did he put it it!?" she practically screamed.

Taking a moment to slow herself, Pearl began to search her memory, desperately trying to recollect what exactly Steven had done with it.

Finally, after racking her brain, Pearl knew where to look.

. . . . .

It was the same evening that they had rediscovered Rose's scabbard, and after a few hours of Pearl recounting her exploits in the war, they had returned home. Upon arrival, Steven began to pack items back into the unusual storage space that was Lion's mane. However, one object he hadn't remembered bringing out caught his attention.

"Hey Pearl," Steven called to her as she made a pot of tea for the two of them, "You have any idea what this is?"

Pearl moved into the den, gracefully placing the tray holding their tea onto the wooden coffee table. Moving towards Steven, she quickly hid her surprise at the object held in his outstretched hand.

It was small, about the size of an apple. Made of metal, its polished, round surface was unmarked, with a small band of circuitry around its circumference. A small indentation topped the object, providing a method in which to activate the object. As Pearl stared, the light bounced off of it, causing small flashes to fill her vision.

After all this time…. She never thought it had survived…..

"Pearl?" Steven questioned, shaking her out of her stupor. A look of concern had crossed the young boys face, unsure as to why the object had rendered Pearl speechless. Quickly recovering, Pearl moved to ease the boy's concerns.

"Oh!" she began, "I never thought I would see one of these again!" gently taking the object from Steven, she held it up to the light, as if to inspect it.

"This, Steven, is a Seeker! It was one of the first probes used by Homeworld, and is the precursor of Peridot's Robonoids!" Steven looked at the relic in wonder, hypnotized by the way it gleamed in the light.

"Does it still work?!" He asked energetically, "Do you think I could use it on missions!?" Pearl smiled internally, thankful her quick fabrication had paid off.

"I'm sorry Steven, but this thing is so old, the internal electronics are essentially dust." Handing the small sphere back to Steven, the young teen sighed in resignation. "Dang, it," he spoke sadly, "I thought I'd have a cool little robot pal."

Pearl, uncomfortable with seeing Steven disappointed, quickly moved to lighten the situation.

"Well don't put it back in Lion!" She spoke up. "That _is_ a piece of Gem history…. Why not put it on display in your room?

This suggestion seemed to brighten the young teens mood, as a smile quickly formed on his face. "Great idea Pearl! I'll go find a place for it right now!" Launching himself up the stairs, Steven began to rearrange his things to create a proper exhibit. Breathing a sigh of relief, Pearl sat down on the couch, and poured herself a cup of tea.

Her story had been believed, and Steven would never investigate further.

Hopefully, he would never find out what it truly was.

. . . . .

Now, as Pearl tore up the stairs to Stevens room, she wished she had told him the truth. Maybe then, he wouldn't have been taken away.

Maybe then he wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself.

Frantically searching around the room, Pearl had finally found it, tucked inside a small glass jar that Steven had placed on the windowsill.

Quickly grabbing the sphere, Pearl rushed back downstairs, and burst out the front door. She made her way down the front steps of the house, passing Amethyst, who was confused as to what exactly Pearl was doing.

Pearl ignored her shouts, and ran to the shoreline, and began to wade into the ocean. Once thigh deep, she looked at the object in her hands.

She knew it needed to be as unobstructed as possible, and despite its metal components, would float if placed in water. Her fingers traced across the surface slowly, thumb gently rubbing over the surface of the switch.

If she did this, she'd have to answer for her actions over six thousand years ago.

If she did this Steven would have a chance.

If she did this, nothing would ever be the same.

 _He_ would probably stay on Earth until Homeworld was dealt with.

She could be forfeiting her life.

But Steven was her world, and if it meant saving his life, then she would gladly pay any price.

Pushing down on the switch, the small sphere began to whirl to life, the circuits around its outside flashing white and red. Slowly, the sphere split apart, a cylinder of circuitry and flashing red light connecting the two pieces. After a minute, the red light switched to white, and flashed at intervals of three seconds.

Pearl felt like the weight of the world had lifted off her shoulders.

It had worked.

After all these years, it had worked.

Reaching down, Pearl gently placed the beacon into the ocean, letting the calm waves hold it afloat.

Walking back to shore, Pearl sat heavily into the sand, knees pulled up into her.

All she could do now was wait

Hopefully, it would reach Him.

Hopefully, He would come.

. . . . . .

Aboard a small ship, a lone figure stood, watching the dead world he was slowly orbiting.

The bridge was quiet; no contact with Authority forces in weeks.

He wasn't sure when the pinging began, only that it had brought him out of his thoughts.

Gliding swiftly to the comms terminal, the figure began to input a string of confirmation codes, confirming the incoming transmission was a distress call, and had been activated by friendly forces. Glad to be free from the aspect of reverse tracking, he was began scanning various possible sectors of space.

Quickly isolating the signal, a small smile formed on his face, noting the source and planet from which it originated.

Moving to the pilot's seat, the figure punched in the coordinates of the planet, recalling them from memory.

It had been a long time since he had been to Earth.

Before activating the jump drive, he moved back to the console, quickly tapping on the keys.

Letting out a small chuckle, the figure settled back into the pilot seat, and prepped the ship for the intensity of slip-space.

Casting one last glance at the comms terminal, he engaged the drive as the screen confirmed its action was completed successfully.

 _LOCATING DISTRESS BEACON…._

… _.._

… _._

… _._

… _._

… _._

 _BEACON LOCATED, SENDING CONFIRMATION SIGNAL…._

…

…

…

…

 _SIGNAL DELIVERY CONFIRMED._

A/N: Hopefully this wasn't too horrid to read. This takes place the episode before the 'Wanted' special. I know Steven gets back on his own, and this story is set to take place after his return, with new allies to help fight Homeworld. I enjoy writing it, so hey, on it goes. Any criticism is appreciated, help me better my shitty writing.

Au revior


	2. Chapter 2

For a moment, everything felt normal.

For a moment, she had escaped from the chaos that had engulfed her home.

Pearl took it upon herself to walk the shoreline every morning, knowing the sea would move the beacon back to shore with the coming and going of the tide.

Finding it, she would then walk out into the shallows, and place it gently into the water, giving It the chance to transmit as strongly as possible.

She found it to be the highlight of her day.

And given the circumstances she found herself in, there wasn't much enjoyment to be had.

In the evening, Pearl would look off the deck of the house, just before setting off to work on the dropship with Peridot. Seeing the flashing white light was…comforting.

It gave her the hope.

And hope was what they all needed right now.

Several days had passed since she had set off the beacon, and as she made her way along the beach in the blossoming morning sunshine for the third time, she found the beacon partially buried in the sand, its repeating cycle ceased.

Instead, a solid, blue light had taken over, partially illuminating the surrounding sand in the early morning surf.

Pearl fell to her knees.

She, more than anyone, could recollect how _They_ confirmed their messages.

Tears began to fall as Pearl cried out in relief, quickly scooping up the glowing metal cylinder and making a mad dash for the house. She quickened her pace further as pure joy filled her chest.

'This is it!' She thought to herself. 'We'll have Steven back in no time! It may not be too late! There might still be a chance to save him befo-'

Pearl, so preoccupied with her thoughts of Steven's rescue, smashed into something solid on the front stairway, stopping her dead in her tracks. She fell backwards into the sand, the beacon falling from her grasp and rolling away down the slope. Quickly gathering herself up, she looked to see _what_ exactly she ran into.

She hadn't expected to see Garnet standing there, as stoic and strong looking as ever.

Whatever Pearl had prepared to say died in her throat.

Garnet, unperturbed, continued to simply stare at her.

Pearl, anxiously wringing her fingers together, returned her gaze; mind running on overdrive trying to formulate a coherent response.

At last, Garnet's eyes shifted slightly, landing on the glowing cylinder lodged in the sand.

She slowly made her way over to it, bending slightly to pick it up and gently hold it in her hands.

A minute passed.

Two.

And Garnet finally spoke, voice steady and eyes still glued to the object in her grasp.

'How long?"

Pearl released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"About three days." She replied, Garnet nodding as she digested Pearls answer.

"And you're prepared for any consequence?" she questioned, eyes moving from the beacon to Pearl.

Pearl, unable to meet her gaze, instead tilted her head down, hands clutching at the sand beneath her.

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring Steven home."

Garnet only nodded.

"Good," She spoke, looking away from Pearl, "Because it looks like you won't have time to change your mind."

Frowning, Pearl looked up to Garnet, confused about the fusion's cryptic statement.

There, at the end of Garnet's outstretched arm was a small, gray speck, seemingly suspended in the upper atmosphere.

Pearl's stomach dropped.

Almost as if on cue, the beacon began flashing once again, this time at intervals of two.

Immediately, Pearl scrambled to her feet, grabbing the small cylinder from Garnet's grasp and sprinted away from the house. Stopping in the flattest, clearest stretch of beach she could find, she placed the beacon into the sand, taking a few steps back.

She knew the Arcadian landing signal by heart.

She _had_ studied at Akios after all.

Turning her attention back to the speck, Pearl noted how it seemed to be growing.

Slowly, the speck turned into a blob.

Then the blob turned into a shape.

And the shape turned into a ship.

A roar began to build in Pearls ears, quickly filling the beach as the ship continued its descent. The wind began to pick up, whipping sand in all direction. Pearl braced herself, closing her eyes as her hair and attire were blown wildly.

Finally, through the din roar, Pearl heard the distinct sound of landing supports digging into the sand.

As the engines began to whine down, the gale force winds slowly began to settle, and Pearl allowed her body to relax, opening her eyes.

It was exactly how she remembered it.

And It was one of the most beautiful ships Pearl had ever seen.

Despite being several millennia old, the vessel itself was in immaculate shape; rust spots were non-existent, communication arrays were well taken care of and repaired, propulsion engines seemed upgraded with advanced tech, weapon systems looked polished and updated.

Sprawled on its side, in block letters, was the word _Nomad_ , a small emblem emblazoned next to it.

Seventh Squad's old insignia.

 _Her_ old insignia.

"It's like no time has passed."

Pearl, shaken out of her stupor, hadn't noticed Garnet had moved up next to her. She shook her head in agreement, eyes never leaving the metaphorical ghost.

"No, not at all."

Placing her hand on Pearl's shoulder, Garnet gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Be strong Pearl, everything will be alright."

A small smile formed on Pearl's lips, handing moving to grasp Garnet's. They stood there on the beach, watching what they thought had disappeared, and would never be seen again.

Their grip tightened as they head the unmistakable sound of a landing ramp extending.

This was it, no turning back.

Hand still intertwined with Garnet's, Pearl allowed herself a deep breath, steeling herself for the coming storm.

"I sure hope you're right."

A/N: Hopefully this was as entertaining as the last chapter. Give me some feedback on what I could improve; help me better my shitty writing.

Au revoir.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Really had some trouble figuring out the structure of this chapter, and then I heard the song _Vultures_ by Vaults. Instantly knew how to write it. Hopefully its enjoyable.

Oh, and any paragraph written in _Italics_ is a flashback, and individual italicized words are for emphasis.

. . . . .

 _Rough, calloused hands ghosted over pale, porcelain skin._

 _Lips trailed and nipped at her neck, eliciting small gasps and groans of pleasure._

 _Pearl knew this was wrong; they could be caught any second._

 _They were teammates…._

 _She had a mission for Diamonds sake!_

 _But as his seasoned fingers roamed her body, touching and squeezing and prodding, Pearl fought a losing battle to control herself._

 _If it was wrong, then why did it feel so right?_

" _We shouldn't be doing this you know…" She began, "Luna and Wilhelm will start to wonder…"_

 _A pair of eyes leveled with hers, steel gray meeting sky-blue, causing her to quiet. It was like watching the ocean on a stormy day; tossing and turning with unbridled power and freedom that she hadn't found in any living creature in the galaxy._

 _It was why she loved the ocean so much…_

 _And it was why she couldn't begin to tear herself away from the man under her._

" _Pearl, if you wanted to stop, you would have driven my ass into the ground already."_

 _He smirked, craftily calling out her desire to continue with this…interaction._

 _Pearl averted her gaze, heat rising to her cheeks. His voice was deep, melodic almost. Hearing it soothed her, and sparked a longing that she hadn't felt in a millennium._

 _It made her core burn, and she couldn't get enough._

" _Ulysses…" she began, but was cut off as a pair of chapped lips pressed against her mouth._

 _Pearl, stiff at first, slowly melted into the kiss, a small moan escaping her. She began to kiss back with fervor, hands beginning to roam across his sturdy frame. He was strong, chiseled, and solid; his time at Akios had been good to him._

 _Still, in the back of her mind, Pearl knew this wasn't right._

 _It wasn't fair to him._

 _But as Ulysses movements turned more desperate, and began tugging at the hem of her shirt, Pearl knew there was no going back._

 _She didn't care._

 _As she peeled off her top, so did Ulysses, who stopped his movements and sat back. She looked into his eyes as he examined her frame, drinking in her presence deeply._

" _I love you Pearl." He stated flatly._

 _Her eyes widened, any response she had conjured died immediately in her throat._

 _She hadn't expected that._

 _Thinking quickly, she offered a smile and planted her lips on his mouth, resuming their passionate session in the Academy's stockroom._

 _She would allow herself to indulge in this._

 _Just this once._

 _Then, after all was said and done, she would deal with the consequences._

 _Even if they only had two days until Judgement._

 _. . . . . ._

As Steven was surrounded by his family in a crushing hug, he pondered whether or not any of it was actually real.

Had he actually managed to escape two of the most powerful beings in the galaxy?

Had he actually brought Lars back to life?

Had he actually discovered a portal home hidden in both Lars's hair and Lions mane?

Steven, personally, believed it all sounded like a bad fever dream.

But, as Pearl and his father clutched him, and as he heard Connie, Garnet, and Amethyst's joyous cries, he knew it was real.

He was home.

He was _safe._

He decided to put his questions and concerns aside; right now, he would just bask in the feeling of being surrounded by the ones he loved.

He'd worry about Homeworld and everything else tomorrow.

Slowly, they began to pull away, giving Steven their full attention. Pearl moved towards the couch, gesturing for Seven to take a seat next to her.

Steven obliged, and as he nestled into the crook of Pearl's arm, the rest of the group gathered around him, eager for answers.

Steven, exhausted, decided to summarize everything he had been through.

"I was put on trial by the Diamonds, and Lars and I managed to escape. We met a group of defective gems, and were attacked by Homeworld drones. Lars was killed, and my tears brought him back to life. I managed to find a portal through his hair, which was linked to Lion's mane, and here I am." He stated flatly.

A shocked silence settled over the group, who were perturbed by Steven's blunt recollection of events.

"Lars died?" Connie asked quietly, wringing her fingers together anxiously.

Steven nodded, "And my tears brought him back. I don't know how, but they did."

Nodding, Garnet questioned further. "How did you escape the Diamonds? I don't suppose they just let you walk out?"

A small smile played on Steven's lips. "Lars and I stole Blue Diamonds Palanquin; we used that to escape the throne room." He rubbed his eyes, fatigue starting to set in. "After we fell who knows how far, we met the Off-Colors, the group of defects? They're making sure Lar's stays safe."

He slumped back further into the seat, visibly deflating. Pearl, concerned, tightened her hold on him.

"I don't know how I'm going to get him home." Steven sighed.

"I might be able to help in that department." A voice answered.

Steven shot up from his seat, scanning the room for the source of the unknown voice. His gaze quickly landed on a figure leaning against the Temple door.

It was a human, Steven knew, but it wasn't like any human he had seen before.

The figure stood at about three meters; broad shouldered and lithe. His hair was shaved on the sides, the top pushed back out of his eyes. Three long, jagged scars crossed his face; set deep into his flesh that ran from the base of his neck to the tip of his hairline.

The figure pushed itself off the wall and began to make his way towards the couch, a simple brown duster adorning his figure.

As he drew closer, Steven could indeed see that it was a man moving towards him, and slowly lowered his defensive stance.

"You don't have to worry 'bout me causing trouble kid," the stranger spoke, "I'm here to help."

"Who are you?" Steven asked, eyebrow raised in question.

The man knelt down, coming eye to eye with the young Universe. Slowly, he stuck out his hand, offering it to the teen.

"My name is Ulysses Farkas," he began as Steven grasped his hand, "I served with your mother during the Rebellion."

Steven couldn't believe it.

"You served with mom?! But that was thousands of years ago!" he exclaimed, "Are you a gem too?! Are you from one of the Kindergartens on Earth?! What Diamond were you assigned to? What…."

Ulysses laughed, its sound resonating throughout the quiet living room. His chuckling continued as he held up a hand to quiet the excited teen.

"No, lord no," he answered, "I'm an Arcadian; they're a race of people from Homeworld's galaxy."

Steven frowned, confused. "But if you're from a different galaxy, why do you look so human? And if you're organic, how have you stayed alive for this long?" To say Steven was perplexed was an understatement; he hadn't a clue to how any of this was possible.

Ulysses, sensing the boy's confusion, decided to placate him. "I'm a very special Arcadian; My genes were altered to prevent aging; Like a gem, I'll never age."

Steven nodded, soaking in the explanation. Still, he had so many questions, but before he could ask any more, Ulysses continued.

"You'll have plenty of time to ask questions later, now is the time for rest." he spoke, gaze shifting to meet Steven's. "We'll talk more in the morning."

Steven shook his head, watching as Ulysses nodded and made his way out of the room and onto the front deck. As he watched him through the screen door, Steven saw a small light flare against the man's face, and a moment later he could faintly smell tobacco wafting into the beach house.

Steven looked back to the others, all eyes cautiously watching him.

"Sooooo…... where did he come from?" he asked.

Greg stood up and moved next to his son, draping an arm around him. "Like he said, we'll talk about it in the morning, ok bud?" he smiled, and Steven nodded. "Let's get you to bed, yeah?"

Steven went around to say goodnight to each of the Gem's, glad to be able to see his family once again.

Finally, after sharing a lengthy hug with Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst each, Steven made his way upstairs with his father and Connie, who would be staying the night. Before climbing into bed, he gave one last wave to the gem's below, who all returned the gesture.

As he lay there, with Connie snuggled up to his side, Steven felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Content.

And with that in mind, he smiled as he fell into the blissful clutches of sleep.

. . . . .

The kid had promise.

Ulysses could tell that much.

His training, however, was being inhibited.

He was almost fifteen, and he still wasn't aware of what truly happened during the Rebellion.

As noble as their actions were, Ulysses knew that the Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were sheltering him too much.

It was time he knew his own history.

It was time he was trained properly.

And with Greg's permission, he would turn the boy into something that Homeworld would fear.

After all, it was what Rose would have wanted.

She would have wanted her son to be able to fight for the Earth, not just for his own survival.

And to be able to defend the Earth against the Authority, the boy would have to grow stronger.

"Thank you for waiting to tell him." A voice spoke from behind his place on the railing.

Ulysses grimaced, taking another drag of his cigarette and flicking the ashes into the soft, white sand below.

"He's exhausted; he's no good to me if he can barely keep his eyes open." He replied.

Pearl shifted her gaze towards the floor, fingers tightly clasped together. "I know it's hard for you to be around us…" She began, but Ulysses cut her off.

"No, Pearl." He said sharply, "I don't have a problem being around Garnet. I don't have a problem being around Amethyst. Hell, I don't have a problem being around that little green gem you keep in that barn." He spoke, voice kept low as to not wake Steven.

"The only thing on this planet I find difficult to be around is _you,_ and we both know the reason for that. If it wasn't for Rose, I would've never answered that damn beacon."

Ulysses turned to face her, moving closer as Pearl backed into the wall of the house.

"I was going to shatter you. I was going to shatter you and Rose was the only thing that stopped me. You're lucky."

Pearl, still unable to look at him, continued to stare at the ground, eyes boring into the wooden deck.

"So instead, of shattering you, I'm going to do something different."

Confused, Pearl finally managed to meet his eyes, steeling herself as he held her gaze.

' _It's like they never changed'_ she thought to herself.

"You're going to be there when I tell him, and you're going to answer his questions. If not, I'm going to tell him anyways, and let you deal with the consequences."

Pearl, shaken from her thoughts, covered her mouth with her hands.

"Please.." she whispered, "Please don't make me do that.."

Ulysses turned away from her, moving back towards the railing.

"If you don't like it, then you should have thought about it before you destroyed my world."

Quietly, Ulysses began to make his way towards the steps, silently making his way down towards his ship on the beach.

Pearl quickly moved towards the railing, flush with panic.

"Ulysses please!" She whispered harshly, "Please don't do this!"

He stopped, slightly turning his head back towards her.

"Huh," he spoke, "funny when the roles are reversed, eh?"

Pearl was silent, and Ulysses continued on his way.

Sinking down and wrapping her arms around herself, Pearl knew she had no real reason to be upset; she had made her bed, and now she had to lie in it.

And she knew this was only the beginning.

. . . . .

" _We made it! We actually made it!"_

 _Pearl hadn't expected them to make it this far._

 _Simon and Theo had been killed two days ago, but Luna, Wilhelm, and Ulysses and were still alive._

 _And they had gotten the VIP to the last Evac ship on Arcadia no less._

" _Finally," Ulysses spoke, "We're safe!"_

 _Of course, that's what he thought._

 _Pearl was a servant._

 _She would do anything for her employer._

 _So when White Diamond assigned her to Akios Military Academy in pursuit of highly classified Arcadian military data, she enthusiastically obliged._

 _When she succeeded, she expected to be rewarded generously._

 _However…_

 _She hadn't expected to come to enjoy her new freedom…._

 _She hadn't expected to grow attached to her teammates…_

 _She hadn't expected to become…. romantically involved with the team captain._

 _She was a Gem though._

 _And it was loyalty to her Diamond above all else._

 _. . . . ._

Several millennia later, Pearl would sit by herself and wish things had gone differently.

She would wish that she had boarded the Evac ship with her team.

She would wish she had escaped the clutches of the Authority with them, and continue their journeys throughout the galaxy.

She would wish she would have settled down with Ulysses, exploring what they would have and where they would take it.

Yes, Pearl wished that's how things went.

Instead, when Ulysses turned to speak to her, she leveled her Beam Rifle at him and kept pulling the trigger.

A/N; Sorry if this is trash, I thought I might as well get another chapter up while I had inspiration. Criticism is welcome, help me better my crap writing!

Au revoir.


End file.
